Wayne County Sheriff Charles Boston remained hospitalized at the University of Kentucky Medical Center on Friday, August 31, following a two-vehicle accident that occurred two days earlier in Laurel County.

The two-vehicle accident apparently occurred on Wednesday, August 29 at approximately 5:30 p.m., according to a press release issued by the Laurel County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputy Shawn Boroviak stated that Sheriff Boston was operating a Chevrolet Corvette and pulled from White Oak Road into the path of a Mustang that was traveling east on Somerset Road in London, Kentucky.

The Mustang was driven by Davan R. Smith, 33, of Somerset Road, London.

Sheriff Boston and his wife, Phyllis, were both injured in the crash.

The couple was taken to St. Joseph Hospital at London.

Phyllis Boston was treated for her injuries and released.

Sheriff Boston was taken by helicopter to the University of Kentucky Trauma Center.

Smith and a passenger in the Mustang, Travis McQueen, 38, of Lily, were also injured in the crash and were transported to St. Joseph Hospital for treatment.

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Wayne County Schools took a longer than normal break for the Labor Day holiday, after discovering a small mercury leak in a science lab at the high school.

School officials decided to call off classes on Friday, August 31 as a precaution.

According to a statement released by the school, at the end of the school day on Thursday, August 30, it was discovered that a barometer had leaked a small amount of mercury onto a counter top in a science lab at Wayne County High School.

As soon as the spill was discovered, officials with the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection were contacted and came on site to perform an assessment.

Mercury levels in the building were determined to be well below those which might cause adverse health effects.

A private contractor was brought in to conduct a clean-up of the spill.

School was dismissed on Friday to allow specialists into the building to conduct clean-up and monitoring efforts, according to the statement.

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Commonwealth’s Attorney Matthew Leveridge, who represents the 57th Judicial Circuit, is the recipient of the 2012 Outstanding Commonwealth’s Attorney Award, which was presented by Attorney General Jack Conway.

Leveridge was recognized at the Kentucky Prosecutor’s Conference at the Lexington Convention Center.

Leveridge represents Wayne and Russell counties.

“Matthew has prosecuted thousands of cases, including approximately 10 murder cases. He is currently prosecuting the case of a toddler who died after drinking chemicals used to manufacture meth. Matthew never turns down a special prosecution and is a tremendous asset to the prosecutorial system and to the residents of Russell and Wayne counties,” stated Conway.

Lynn Pryor, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the 3rd Judicial Circuit, was also presented an award for 2012 Outstanding Commonwealth’s Attorney Award by Conway.

The recipients of the 2012 Outstanding County Attorney Awards were Marc Robbins of Madison County and William “Bill” Hagenbuch of Allen County.

Conway expressed his appreciation to all of the members of Kentucky’s prosecutorial community who work every day to make communities safer places to live, work and raise families.

More than 700 prosecutors, staff members, as well as law enforcement from across Kentucky attended the three day conference, which was sponsored by the Office of the Attorney General and the Prosecutors Advisory Council.

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Bears have become a fairly common sight in several parts of Wayne County this year, and several local residents have reported problems with the animals becoming quite bold in areas populated by people.

The Outlook has received photos of several bear sightings in the county, the most recent ones from Wendell Johnson who has photos of numerous bears, including a mother with three cubs and another one with two cubs, that were taken in the Mt. Pisgah area of the county.

Johnson and other residents of that community have had trouble with bears prowling on their property. Johnson said a bear had actually been on the porch of his residence.

“They are not hiding,” said Johnson, as he talked about the bears he has seen. “They are out in daylight.”

He guessed there were about 25 bears in the Mt. Pisgah area of the county, and noted that the animals do not appear to be afraid to linger in areas where people are located, which has basically made them a nuisance to many.

“I can’t even get out on my four-wheeler in the Mt. Pisgah area without seeing a bear,” said Johnson.

Tim Catron, captain with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, said that the agency has received several reports of black bears in Wayne County this year, particularly a large concentration in the eastern portion of the county. But he added that sightings have been scattered around the county.

The biggest reason bears are moving into areas populated by people is the search for food. Because of weather conditions, the animals’ food supply is low this year in the wilderness and Catron explained that they are becoming bolder as they search for something to eat.

“In most areas of eastern Kentucky, this summer’s wild berry crop disappeared quickly,” said Steven Dobey, bear biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “This is a very important food source for this time of year and with it gone, bears are roaming extensively in search of alternate foods.”

Catron said the best thing people can do to keep bears away from their homes is to make sure garbage is kept in a secure container and out of reach of the animals. Keep all food, including animal food, out of their reach as well. When they find nothing to eat, he said the animals will move on.

He also said no one should try to approach a bear, because they are a dangerous animal and should be respected as such.

Anyone who sees a bear can contact officials in Frankfort to report the location. The number is 1-800-858-1549. The sighting will become part of a computerized map, which allows officials to keep track of activity.